Packer



Oct. 7, 1952 Filed May 4, 1946 c. K. MOR'GAN ETAL PACKER 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 C7/424Es K Maze/w INVENTORS.

A TraeA/Ex Oct- 7, 1952 c. K. MORGAN ET AL 2,512,953

PACKER Filed May 4, 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 CHARLES EJ140264, 09,941 0. MEDD/CK,

JOHN S. MCfiW/VA,

IN V EN TORS.

A T TORNEY.

Patented Oct. 7, 1952 PACKER Charles K. Morgan and Lorrain D." Meddick, Los Angeles, and John S. McKenna, Alhambra,

CaliL, assignors to Lane-Wells Company,-Los Angeles, Calif.,a corporation of Delaware Application May 4, 1946, SerialNo..667,31 6

This invention relates generally ,tol packing devices for wells and particularly, to packingv ring or sleeve bodies employed fOnpacking O'iT or sealing between concentricpipes or between tubing and easing within wells. This invention finds its most important application in meeting and overcoming difiiculties encountered in well packing operations employed in present-day, extremely deep oil wells where conditions of unprecedented severity are encountered, including the combined, destructive effects of hightemperatures and high pressures. a r

Oil well drilling trends over the past few years have been toward ever increasing depths, and the attendant increase in operating temperatures and pressures encountered in suchwells, where packing operations must be performed, has resulted in a corresponding increase in the frequency of packer failures Such packer failures have been dueto improper, materials'and design of the resilient packer elements employed. For example, when rubber packing elements were employed in the conventional "packer devices and where axial compressive forces through, the tubing were employedlto deformzo r expand the packer ring into sealing engagement with a surrounding casing, if the hardness: index of the rubber was sufiiciently lowfto be thusexpanded Claims. (cr es-12) by inexcessive compressive forces,lth'en "fail ure of such packer often occurreiunder high. tem-;

perature and high pressure conditions by extrusion and the resultant es'capeof thepackermaterial from the packer. LIf, ontheother hand, the hardness index of the rubber was sufficiently high to resist extrusion, then excessive compressive forces were required to deform the ring into proper sealing engagement with the casingfwall,

resulting often in failure of the tubing through which the compression was applied, or failure of the packer ring by cracking, and eventualdisintegration. Furthermore, iffinsuiiicient force could be brought to bear on thefhard packer to,

attain an adequate seal, then .failureoften foccurred by cutting or channeling out'fas a result of leakage. Neither hard rings nor'sqft "rings .nor any ring having intermediate hardnessratings appeared alone capablebf meeting thephysical requirements desired*'"for both jdurability v and packer setting forces."

It is, thereforepan objectflof this a manta; is overcome the hereinbefore "described difficulties encountered in connecti packer elements; under hig perature conditionsf is anotherobiect oft-his invention t6 "pro- 2 l I i vide a packer unit having thefcharacteristicsfor' high hardness rating, yet capable of forming a durable seal with moderate setting pressures;

Itis a further object of thisinvention to provide a packer ,unit possessing the durability characteristics of high hardness, yet having the setting force characteristics of one employing pack:

or at extreme depth under hightemperature and pressure conditions with relatively great tubingweight. 7 l l The objects, in generak are accomplished by the invention which, in its broadest aspect, resides in constructingand employing a resilient packer unit adapted to be subjectedto axial compressive forces in ap acker device to deform or expand it radially into sea-ling engagement with a surrounding casing wall, said packer unit bein compounded, constructed or assembled in such fashion as to have hardness characteristicsor rigidity values which vary therethrough from nd me I Th d Qt er advantages, and fea;

tures of v y'xwill' a ide'n h r ina t 1 the n rnh eh sho by f us tration, preferred embodiments of the invention, and in which like reference numerals-designate the same or similar parts throughout the several viewsz l Figure 1 is an elevationaliview partial gitudinal section of thef general assembly; of typical packer apparatusin set, condition within 1 a casing, illustrating the action of conventional packer bodies.

Figure 2 is a fragmentarydetail vievvjin partial 1 lo u ion.; o a, o tion f. th ."nee e apparatus of Figure 1 showingthe packer elemerits of the invention in place in unsetycondition. l

vention in an initialstage of setting. 1,

tion. t Figure i ure 3 is adetaj dinal section, of the apparatus pf Figure Zillus-y tratingthe actionof the packer body of, the .in-

sis a teen satin pariiall'longitudifijal' drel l2 which extends concentrically downward.

through the packer and slip assemblies. The packer head is adapted to make threaded coupling at I3 with suitable drill pipe'oroil tubing M by means of which the packer apparatus is suspended'while being lowered through the well casing and by means of which downward force is applied to expand the packer bodies into sealing engagement with a surrounding casing after the packer is set.

concentrically surrounding the mandrel l2 and slidably spaced therefrom bymeansv of a plurality of radial spacer webs I5 integral therewith, isa packer supporting sleeve 16 terminating at its upper end in an annular valve seat member I! which makes threadedconnection therewith at l8.

The lower portion, of the packer supporting I sleeve i6 extends downward slidably through a packer retaining nut which,in turn, makes threaded'connection at 2| with the'upper'end of a slip cone body 23. A resilient packer sleeve or a plurality of resilient packer rings encircle the supporting sleeve H5, are retained in position thereon, and are adapted to beaxially'compressed between the inner confronting surfaces of the beforementioned valve seat member l7 and the retaining nut 20 as shown generally at 2E3.

When'th'e packer body is thus compressed, as shown in Figure 1, into sealing engagement with a surrounding casing wall 26, the packer sleeve 16 slides downward through the retaining nut 28 and telescopically within the counterbor'e 22 of the slip cone body 23.

When the packer is set in" the manner illustrated inFigure 1, a plurality of slips ofconventional design, or other suitable means, makes gripping engagement between the inside surface of a surroundingcasing 26 and the slip cone 23 as shown at 21, thereby supporting'the-retainer nut Ell immovable in the casing against downward compressive forceapplied thereto through the packer 25, the valve seat l1, and the packer head It by means of the tubing (not shown);

The operation of the packer mechanism, ineluding-the method of releasing and setting the slips 21,- is well-known in the artand, for this reason, is' not further described-herein. Afmore complete description of the construction or the mechanical features and of the operation of this- -type of packer which is suitable to the'present Unitedinvention; is-shown'and disclosed in the States patent to Renouf-2,005,955;

' While acirculatio'n type of casing-packer mechanism is shown and described herein as' -apreferred apparatus to which the present invention is applicable, it is'not so limited,"sinceithe: present inventionisapplicable to advantageuin any type of casing packer which operatesin'z-a. mannersimilar to that herein illustrated ,toiexpand or, deform a resilientpacker body radially into sealing engagement with a surrounding, casing by means of axial compressive f orc, e a p plied thereto.

InFigures 2 to 6, inclusive, the same typeo 7 casing 26 on the outside.

packer apparatus illustrated in Figure 1 is em ployed, but for the purpose of convenience and clarity, only the valve head member ll, packer sleeve l6, retainer nut 20, and a portion of the slip cone body 23 have been shown, the balance of the packer mechanism having been omitted from the drawings.

Referring againto Figure 1, a typical type of packer failure which occurs under the severe conditions hereinbefore described when employing packer sleeves or packer ring elements of conventional type and composition in a set packer, is there illustrated. The outermost or end packer rings 30 and 3| have commenced to be'extruded', as shown at 32 and 33, axially 1 through the annual clearance spaces formed between the valve seat member H, the slip cone body 23 on the inside, and the surrounding The intermediate packer rings have also commenced to flow toward the annular openings.

It may appear' to those unskilled in the art that the most obvious'method ofpreventing this type of packer failure would be to reduce these clearances'between the outside diameter of the packer confining members such as the valve seat member I! and the'retainer nut 23, and the inside diameter of the casing 26 sufiiciently to obviate such axial fiow and extrusion of the packer material from confinement within the packer. This method of preventing packer failure, however, cannot be employed for the'reason that it has been found by experience that the clearance spaces between the outside of these elements of the packer and the inside surface of the casing must always be relatively large. In other words, it has been found by those skilled in this art that it is impractical to-reduce the clearance spaces sufficiently to overcome these packer diiiiculties, and yet safely pass the packer body through the casing into the well. The outside diameter of the packer confining elements must of necessity be considerably less than the drift diameter rating of the casing in which the packer is employed and usually not over approximately per cent of the inside diameter of the casing.

It has been discovered, however, that by modi- Reference is now made primarily to Figures 2,

3, and 4 wherein'the'novel characteristics and construction of the packer body which is the v feature'of this invention, is illustrated.

It has been discovered that if the, series of packer rings which are carried by the supporting sleeve I6, and which are confined and may be compressed into sealing engagement with the surrounding casingbetween the valve seat member I! and the packer retainer nut 20 are composed of natural rubber, synthetic rubber, or other suitable rubber-like material which have been compounded'and cured to possess different rigidity or hardness'indices Shore hardness), beneficial results in the way of increased durability and sealing'efficiency are realized.

It has been discovered that preferably the end rings as illustrated at 35 and 36 in Figure 2, should havethe highest hardness index and the intermediately located rings lower hardness indicesj Of the intermediate rings, between the end rings, it has been found desirable that the I outermost ones of thesa as shown at 31 and 38.

' is; illustrated by the relative density difierences of the cross-sectionalrepresentations. 1 a

. In Figure 3, the appearanceuoi :theseriesof packer rings. of 'thisyinvention is illustrated at either an initial stageof the packersetting operw ation or ,under set conditions whereyonly light tubing weightis brought to bear uponthe packer. Under this condition; the; soitest; packer rings, namely the middle rings illustrated at 39 and 40, are deformed to the reatest extent and: thus first come into sealing engagement withjthe inside wall surfaceof the casing 26. The next outermost ring in orderoi arrangement from the center of the series outward, namely rings 3! and 38, being harder than the inner or middle rings 39 and 40 are deformed toa lesser de ree.

but yet sufficiently to: expand intoposition to serve as axialsupporting shoulders against further axial deforrnation or extrusion of the softer, inner rings wand 401 through the thus reduced clearance space along-itheinside surface of the casing. The i outermost rings] 35 and 36 being.

as before stated, the hardestonesinlthe series.

undergo still less fdeformation and expansion. but, nevertheless sufficient 'toserve in 3 turn to support the adiacentiringsi 31 and 3 8 against excessive axial extrusive displacement.

Thus, it is apparent that, under the conditions illustrated in Figure 3,}where adjacent rings are of progressively different hardnessesyonly relatively small deformation increments occur from ring: to ring which deformations are distributed approximately alongasloping or curved lineor in arch-like arrangement as indicated by the broken line 42, such distribution being-dependent 6 which iscompletelyideformedlinto sealing contactwithtthe inside'suriacelbf the casing .While, for the. purpose of simplicity in illustrationi and also because this-number has been found as a practical matter to i he usually sufficient, only sixpackerring elements have been illustrated in the packer body. However, in some cases: where'the packer must operate under extreme conditions of temperature and pressure, it has been found desirable to increase somewhat the number of rings employed. The :reason for such increase-in the-number oi rings employed is 'evidentfrom theillustration in Figured where it may be seen-that as the axial pressure ofthe packingbody is increased, a limitingconditionis reached in the effectiveness of this arrangement-where allot the rings, including theouterx'nost ones; are brought into complete engagement withthe inside surface of theca'sing, afterwhich extrusion of the outers most rings along the casing wallcommences.

upontherateof change =-oi' hardnessdifierences.

l-v Inc Fi'gure 4,- the appearance of the series of packerrings ofthis invention ishillustratedtat either the final stage of thepackersetting operation, "orwhere the packer L is set at great.

depth within the well casing. possibly alsounder high temperature conditions where. r a relatively highftubing weight is brought to bearuponthe paeken; Under this latter condition; the softest packer-rings attheintermediate sections of the series are iforced into firm sealingengagement with the inside; surface ofthe casing 26. The

outermostrings, namelyringstli and 3-6, being harderthanithecinner rings 31.2 38, 39, and 4i! may be deformed to lesser degree, yet; as in the former 'c'ondition illustrated in Figureii. they are expanded sufiiciently to serve as iadequatelongitudinal supports for the adjacent, inner rings 31 and 38, substantially to close the end clearance into contacts/name casingpandithus at some" spaes andthereby"substantially to prevent axial flow. Here again it is apparentfthat underthe conditionsfillustratedin Figures: where theadjaceht ringsjare er different hardnessesj pay; relatively small deformation and expansion increments occur from ring to ring outside of that To prevent this and to extend'th'e service limits to which the packer may be employed, additional rings of further increased hardnessesrmay be added at eachfoute'rend of the series of rings. Thus, a'number of theoutermosthardest rings may be prevented from being deformed into complete engagement withthe inside surface of the casing to thus preserve the arch-like distribution oiincremen'ts of deformation from ring to g string." .v

"In Figiires 5- and Sin whicha modified' 'form of the invention is illustrated, the beforementioned increase of numbersof ring" elements in theseries in the packer-bodymay beconsidered to have? beenfcaifried to the ultimatelimit in which the-packer body1 l5 takes} the' formpi a single sleeve-like cylindrical element having; hardness characteristics or rigidity tames hmh; instead of varying stepwisei'rornring-toring aswhere the packer is'composed ra plurality of rings,

vary axially therethrough continuously from end to end,'th e hardest portions being at the ends and the softestportions at ian intermediate sec non, The packer body 45-rnay'thus be considered to comprise {an infinite number *of packer ring elements placedfaxially ane ne with infinitesirnal hardness difierences tiom ring element to rihg" element; This variatibn in" rigidity or hardness "from outer ends' towardlthe' intermediates'ection is illustrated approximately by the variation in densityof' the cross-sectional representation. i

Fight-31 5, the single piece packer b dy'esis illustrated in the unset,running-in condition coi responding to that illustrated in Figure- 2 hereinbefore describedq r t HInZEigure 6, thesingle' piece packer body 45 is shown-under atypical set condition within the casing 26, which condition may correspond to conditionsflhereinbefqre described in connection with Figure 4, where the intermediate portions or the passer bo y are first "deformed into [firm sealing engagementffwith the inside surfaceof the casing, as shown at 46; 11 At" the harder end regions' 'ofth packer body asp nowever, the dc formation thereis insufficient'to bring the packer point depen'ding' upon the hardness" distribution andtheiforcesiapplied; the. packer body leaves contact with the'inside surfacesofthe casing, as illustrateda-t 41. Thesoutersurfaceof the packer body or sleeve 45 extendinggiroijn that point of eavin Con act wi h :t in id s rf o t easi All tewardsx he :eeresi @3 92: t e eon forms a'curvedshaped surface at 48 lying along a curved line or arc-h, as indicated by .the broken line 15E! in a mannercom-parable to thatshown at 4'2 injFigureua ..Thusgthe outer curved end portions comprise, in effect, -an.;infinite ,number of shoulders or offsets indiameter, lying along the beforementioned curve 50. Self-support is thus effectively providedfor the-inner, softer portions of the packer against axial flow or extrusion. J

By employing the construction illustrated in Figures 5 and fijwherein the single sleeve-like packer body 45 has hardness characteristics varying toward increased hardness fromtheintermediate sections thereof; towards the ends and by the choice of the rate of variation of hardness, it is apparent that the packercan be made adaptable to a widerange of variation in packer setting forces and still preserves the :end deformation conditions; conducive testability, strength, and durability.

In asix-ring packerelenient, as illustrated in Figures 2, 3,'and 4, the following relative hardness and tensile strength characteristics have been found suitable for most conditions. The innermost two rings may have ShoreDurometer hardnesses of from approximately 73 to '77; the next outermost-rings, Shore hardnesses of approximately 82; to 86,;and the outermost end rings Shore hardnesses of approximatelyBSto 92.

Materials which have been found most suitable for these packing rings are Hycar (M -76) and neoprene (100 G. N). Hycar is a trade name for material manufactured by the Hycar Chemical Company, Akron, Ohio. The numbers in parentheses are; batch designations for these materials as compounded by the Kirkhill Rubber Company, Los Angeles, California.

It has been found thatthe synthetic :rings of these types and of these materials haveless-tendency to become vulcanized to; the casingthan natural rubber, and thus are more easily removed from the well casing.

In-the packer body eonstruction of theatype illustrated in- FiguresB and-GQthe physical characteristics of the -material-may zbe varied betwen a Shore hardness of approximately 70-atthe i11 termediate section to ashore hardness ,of approximately 1 00 atv the opposite endsi The ring is thus adapted to be; employed under substan: tially all of the I extreme, variations encountered from well .to well in the field. a H

In general, where the terms rigidity andhardness have been used herein in the, specification and claims in connection with the physical characteristics of the packer "materials, these ,terms are meant to include that property of the material which resists elastic or plastic .deforma-,

tion thereof at right angles to the direction of application of the deforming force, for example that property of the packersleeve or ,ringclement which resists-radial expansion in response to axial compressive force, or resists bending, extrusion or flow under applied shearing forces.

While such hardnessor; rigidity properties ,may

scope of .the invention as defined in the appended claims... 1...

. ;We claim:

-In ;a well packer adapted to be lowered into a well casing in unseticondition with substantial clearancebetween ,the packer and the inner surface of the leasing andha'ving packer elements to be expanded radially for making sealing contact with the casing and maintaining such sealing contact ina deep well under severe temperature and.pressurefconditions tending to cause extrusion and flow ofthe packing material: an inner packerretainer sleeve; a series of separate, resilient, substantially rectangular cross-sectioned annular packer elements in end "to end coaxial relationship surrounding said sleeve, each individual packer element'being of substantially uniform shor hardness and rigidity throughout but with different packer elements being of different Shore 'hardness-andrigidity; the endmost packer elements of said series having the greatest Shore hardness and rig idity and the intermediate packer elements having lesser Shore hardness and rigidity, said er'idmost packer elementsbeing less readily deformable than said intermediate packer elements under normal compressive forces applied thereto to expand the packer'elements; and means for applying axial compressive forces to-th'e end'rnost packer elements and through said series of packer elements to co'mpresssaid packer elements axially on-said sleeve and to thereby cause differential radial expansion of said packer elements 'towardfa-surrounding well casing with the intermediate packerelernents partaking of the greatestinitialradial expansion. a

"2 avell'packer asdefinedin claim -1 in which the "'imum' Shore hardnes s of a packer elemen-tfi's from approximately 73 to 7'7 and in which the maximum Shorehardnessofa f packer element is from approximately'88 to 92.,

3 In a well} packer-adapted to be lowered into a well casing in unset condition With substantial clearance'between the packer and the inner surface-of the casing and having packer elements to' be expanded radially for making sealing" contact with-the casing andmaintainin suchseali'ng contact in a deep well under severe temperate ture 'and -pressure conditions tending to cause extrusion and iiow of the packing material: an

inner'pa'ck' r retainer sleeve; a series or separate, resilient, substantially rectangular cross-sectioned annular} packer elements "in end toend coaxial relationshipsurrounding said sleeve,

each individual packer element being of sub-.

stantially uniform fihore hardness and rigidity throughout'but with'different packer elements being'of-diiferent Shore hardness and rigidity; the endmos't-paoker elements of said series havin'g the greatest- Shore hardness and rigidity-and the-intermediate packer elements positioned successively inwardly from said endmost elements having progressively lessersl'iore' hardness and rigidity, said-endmQ t packer-elements being less a ily: defo mabl tha :said "intermediate packer] or elements undernormal compressive forces applied thereto to. expand the packer elements; and means for applying axial compressive forces to the .endmost" packer elements and through said series of packer elements to compress said packer elementsaxially on said sleeve and'to thereby cause differential radial expansionofsaidpacker elements toward a surroundingwellcasing with'th'e intermediate packer elements-partaking of the greatest initial radial expans or j 9 4. A well packer as defined in claim 3 in which the minimum Shore hardness of a packer element is from approximately '73 to '77 and in which the maximum Shore hardness of a, packer element is from approximately 88 to 92.

CHARLES K. MORGAN. LORRAIN D. MEDDICK. JOHN S. McKENNA.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date McCabe Sept; 26, 1933 Renouf June 25, 1935 Phipps 1 Oct. 20, 1936 Bettis Aug. 2, 1938 Raybould -1 June 25, 1940 Claus May 6, 1947 

